Unconventional Dessert Combos to Try at Least Once in Your Life: Gochujang Edition

Though not at all traditional, gochujang can also be added to sweets to give them a subtle fermented tang, to balance out the sweetness, and to add umami.

Gochujang, a Korean fermented chili pepper paste, is used liberally as a flavoring ingredient in Korean cuisine. This thick, red paste offers deep savory goodness, bold peppery notes, pungency, and a lovely mix of sweetness and spiciness to every dish it's added to. It's not made from the usual chilis you find at the market, but Korean red pepper powder (gochugaru), malt barley, fermented soybeans, and salt. Traditionally, gochujang undergoes a lengthy fermentation process in large earthenware pots, but nowadays you can find mass-produced gochujang that is just as good, if not better.

This paste is similar in consistency to miso, but nothing like it when it comes to flavor. It's used liberally in a lot of Korean savory dishes like soups, salads, meats, noodles, rice, to make a dipping sauce mixed with Korean-style fermented soybean paste, and so much more. Though not at all traditional, gochujang can also be added to sweets to give them a subtle fermented tang, to balance out the sweetness, and to add umami. Here are some recipes that you can try incorporating gochujang into:

Gochujang Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Cadbury dark chocolate chunks
• 3 cups of coconut milk
• ¼ cup of sugar
• ½ tsp of cinnamon powder
• 3 tbsp of gochujang

Instructions:

• Heat the coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon powder, and gochujang in a saucepan.
• Bring to a simmer on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes, while stirring continuously.
• Put the chocolate chunks in a large bowl and pour the hot liquid over them. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave if you want it to mix faster.
• Once you’ve whisked the mixture completely, pour it in a big bowl or divide it into four portions.
• Place the pudding in the fridge and let it chill overnight.

Gochujang Caramel Cookies

Ingredients:

• Caramel: 2 tbsp of softened, unsalted butter
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• 2-3 tbsp of gochujang paste

• Cookie: 3 cups of refined flour
• ½ cup of softened, unsalted butter
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp of salt
• ¾ tsp of cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda

Instructions:

• Mix together all the ingredients of the caramel in a bowl and set it aside.
• Then cream the butter and sugar till you get a light and fluffy mixture. Add the eggs and vanilla to this, followed by vanilla, salt, and cinnamon powder.
• Slowly add the flour to the butter and spice mix, incorporating it fully without overmixing it. Once this medley of ingredients resembles cookie dough you can cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Then take it out and preheat the oven to 350 F. Also prepare your baking sheet by lining it with baking paper.
• Take out the cookie dough and let it soften a little before adding the caramel and gochujang caramel mix.
• Use a tablespoon or an ice cream scooper to create eight cookie balls. Place them on your lined baking sheet at least two inches apart.
• Press them in the middle so they resemble cookies.
• Pop the tray in the oven for 10-15 minutes or till you notice the cookie cracking.
• Take the tray out and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes. The gochujang caramel would have dispersed throughout the cookie giving it a slightly red and brown color.
• You can store the cookies in an airtight jar for 5 days to a week.

Gochujang Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tbsp of water
• ⅔ cup of cream
• 3 tsp of gochujang paste
• 1 tbsp of softened, unsalted butter
• A pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)

Instructions:

• Whisk the gochujang into the cream till everything is well combined.
• Heat sugar and water on medium till you achieve a caramel syrup.
• Pour the gochujang and cream mixture into the caramel, whisking till everything is smooth, and a red-brown color.
• Add the butter and salt to this.
• For a smooth sauce, you can strain it through a mesh sieve.
• Store the sauce in a sterile, airtight jar and have it with pancakes, cakes, ice cream, waffles, and more. You can also pour it over cinnamon buns, if you ever bake them at home.